Holy shit. I know it’s all relative and that if I sat down in front of a paper that expected me to do basic fractions I’d probably cry, but my son’s A level paper makes no sense whatsoever – apparently it was REALLY hard.
I can’t even write out most of the questions because there are so many squiggly things that I don’t think I have on my keyboard.
But here’s one for all you mathematicians out there:-
Show by means of suitable sketch graphs that the equation
(x-2)4 = x+16 (ps “4” is supposed to be small and above the line but can’t find how to do that)
has exactly 2 real roots.
State the value of the smaller root
Use the iterative formula (what does “iterative” mean?) and anyway, sorry, I can’t show you that because it’s impossible to write out.
Miranda
June 14, 2011WHAT!!! This makes sense to some people? Wow.
Wow.
Nicola
June 14, 2011The smaller root is x=0. In case you’re interested. Thought not!
Family Affairs
June 14, 2011Weirdo x
Working Mum
June 14, 2011Makes sense to me, but then, I am a mathematician. Just a quartic graph and a straight line meeting at two place, a quick rearrangement of the equation after equating the y coord and a few taps on the calculator. Simples!
PS Hope it went ok for him; I tell my pupils that hard exams are good because you can show how much better you can do than other people!
Family Affairs
June 14, 2011OH NO ANOTHER WEIRDO. Just wouldn’t know where to begin…..but did try to reassure him that it means the pass rate will be lower. Lx
English Mum
June 20, 2011Erm… yeh. Easy.
(Not really)
xx